TX_IT_Chick

I have some info in the Drs that will be used by TLC Edge in Dallas. I was sent some bios from one of their staff. If anyone would like this please email me at shanmorton@gmail.com. It's a word document and it's fairly large. I am going to use them b/c 1) insurance denied me and 2) they have a special going on right now until the end of Feb. I am researching the drs myself on the web. Shandra

I had my surgery on the 29th and boy am I SORE!! I feel like a slob for not being as active before surgery as after. I am still in the same clothes I wore to the surgery center!!! I'm trying to drink as much broth as I can along with Popsicles. I know I need to walk more and I've been doing the breathing treatments. I can't wait to take a shower. And it's been so cold here in TX the last fews days that I can't get out and do a lot a walking like I'd like. I hope this is all normal... I have to schedule my one week follow up appt with my surgeon and I guess get back to a regular schedule. I think that I'm just worried b/c this is so out of the ordinary for me. I've been staying with a friend at her house since I had surgery. I'm ready to go home and to get back into my routine, ever so slowly..... If there are any words of advice, I'd like to hear them. I will try to walk around the house a little more before I take some pain med and go to sleep on the couch.! Later ya'll!!! :frown: Shandra

I didn't get in on March 11th for my fill due to probably not getting my rear in gear to get it scheduled. I'm set on ....March 21st!! Almost 8 weeks post op!! I'm at the point that I want to feel restriction so I can stop eating! I still get hungry!!! I'm not afraid of the fill itself. Just how it'll show me how to eat. I am one who'll have to experience the negative at least once before I "get it". I bet I could eat anything I wanted, as long as I chewed it well. Shandra

OK, now I'm two weeks post op and I can go to the "Blended" phase of my diet. I was told I could have flaky fish and I've been eating some of that. I cut it up to tiny little pieces and I chew it for at least 30 times before I sallow. I feel I could eat anything. I had some mashed 'tatoes, tonight as well. I'm trying real hard not to drink anything with my meal, before and after. I don't go for a fill for another 4 weeks (need to get that scheduled!). I'm worried that I am eating too much or not correctly. I'll go back over my doc's info, but it says I should be eating baby food consistency foods. I'm down the 20 lbs from the first day of my liquid diet (212 to 192.5) OK almost 20 lbs.... I'm back to walking my dogs 1.5 miles a day and my incisions are healing nicely. I've been so tired that I didn't want to go back out to the support meeting tonight. I will go next month. Have a great night!!! :tt2: Shandra

Today, I had my 2nd visit at TLC Edge, and tomorrow I have my visit w/ my surgeon. I'll get my appt time for surgery and the chance to ask any questions. I've been on my liquid diet for just over a week and by my scale I've lost almost 10 lbs. 212 the first day and 203.5 this morning. Of course, it was first thing in the morning and standin' neekid on the scale! :smile: My visit at TLC said that I'd lost only 7 lbs. I hope, by my scale that I get down 20 lbs. We had a catered Breakfast this morning and boy did it smell good!! I so wanted to have some, but I didn't! Yea for me. My friend who is also banded told me, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". She has some gems!! :smile: Shandra

I'll be 35 in a few weeks. I need this change in my life, I feel, to move forward and really grow, not only professionally, but personally too. I've only told a few people about my surgery. I have two neighbors who know, and the person who's taking me on the day of my surgery. That's it!! The person taking me, also has a band. We've become a lot closer since I found out she has the band. I had asked one of my two neighbors to take me since I though I'd have the surgery shortly after I decided it was for me. Insurance had other plans though. It's been a while now so I'm sure she's forgotten it. I was going to tell my mom, but changed my mind. I don't like keeping this from her, but while she was here for C'mas, she left a food-stuff here saying that it would help me lose weight, "be a better choice for me". It was a butter made w/ yogurt. I don't really eat a lot of butter, and it hurt me. I know she only did it to help, so I can't really be that mad. But that's what changed my mind. I'll tell them after I've lost some weight, when they see me next, in March or so. I'm also hoping that this weight loss will improve my career. I work in a male-dominated field and I'm very frustrated that I've not been promoted in the 3 years I've worked there. Plus the fact that when a position came open, and they promote from w/ in (Hahaha, jokes on you!!!!), that I was not even considered for it. And Yes, I did tell my boss that I wanted to move into that position!!! What good is it to keep getting certifications if you can't/aren't being allowed to use them???? That's most of my story. I won't bore you w/ the rest but I'd love to hear why you have decided or not to tell who ever! Shandra TX_IT_Chick!!

Ruby, I was just in your shoes. Can you feel that they're still warm?? The first couple of days were very hard for me. I took a small tiny bite of grilled chicken for dinner and I did it again at lunch the next day. If you only do that, you're still doing GREAT on your pre-op diet. I also had purchased some chip dip that I finally found at the store and I just had to try some. I dipped my spoon in to get just a very tiny taste. I even admitted that to the dr's office. I think while they really want you to stick to the liquid diet, they'd much rather have you take a small bite like I did, than to eat a whole meal and undo what you've worked so hard for. But try as hard as you can to stay on the liquid diet!!! Each day does get easier!!! Make sure you drink your Water too. Crystal light in water will help SO much!! Get several flavors that you like and keep them handy. I thought I could only have the drinks and plain water. How boring!! I'm only a few days away from my surgery and I hope to lose 10 lbs for it. I'm very close. Like a friend told me the other day...."You'll be hungry for the next 10 days, then probably never again". And "NOTHING tastes or feels as good as skinny is". Hope these help and hang in there!! Drink your water!! :rolleyes2: Shandra

Boy that pizza in the dr.s office smelled good! I am SICK of this liquid diet...... I found out that I was going to be the first surgery of the day and I got pushed back to 12:30. While I understand why, I wanted to be home recovering instead of waiting... :rolleyes2: Shandra

I'm single, with furkids , who I love w/ all my heart!! I'd at least like to date after I lose this weight. (What does that say about my personality??? :girl_hug:) One day I'd like to get married, and I feel that I'll have a better chance of that when I weigh less. Shandra

I know that I need to drink water, but plain water, unless I've just come in from walking the dogs, in August, is BORING and hard to choke down! Glad to hear that you had Crystal light b/c I can get that down much easier. And I have some in my pantry! Yeah!! I was told that I'd need two cases before surgery (up to 5 drinks a day), and 1 after. I can't wait to get off the opitfast. Also it's really hard to watch TV when you see all these commercials for food. That is going to be a challenge for me. My friend, who is also banded, gave me a gem in my email this week: "You'll be hungry for the next 10 days, then probably never again". I look forward to that day! It's coming soon. :biggrin: Shandra

My BC pills are small enough to take after banding. I would take them with you and ask your doc or someone in his office. Also I was told that in the long run the opening into your stomach will be size of a pencil so if you BC pills are smaller than that, you shouldn't have a problem. I was told that mine would be ok. Shandra

Hey Stacey! Good to hear. I had been attending another business's support meetings b/c that where I thought I'd be having my surgery. At the last meeting, it was suggested that I at least give them the opportunity to match the price that TLC Egde offered b/c they'd done it for someone else. Someone called me, but either I got the number wrong or they blocked my number because I could never get back in touch w/ them. I'm so close (on my liquid diet now) that I didn't want to change anything for fear of something going wrong. I'm apprehensive but excited for this change. So far everyone that I've spoken to at TLC Edge has been nice and helpful. I need to go get another box of Meal Replacement drinks before my surgery; I was told I needed 3 but I could only afford 2 at the time. Dr. Veninga is the dr. I chose. I meet with him this Wednesday. Thanks for the encouragement! Shandra

I've not had my surgery yet. Jan 29th, first one of the day! I'm going this route b/c insurance denied me, and $10K is something I can afford (a car payment) pretty easily. So far everyone seems to know what they are doing! :ohmy: I've been happy w/ the quickness of my questions being answered. I had to have some tests re-done for this time around b/c I guess my previous results were outdated. That annoyed me; I had to go to a dr that I'd never used before, waited much longer than I felt I needed to, to get a few things done. That, however, is a gripe I have about all dr's visits. I did some research on each of the dr.s they have listed and the one I picked had a lot of great feedback. I can update this thread when I get back from my surgery. Shandra

Only a few people know that I'm having my surgery. I haven't told anyone at work, and just a few people know. Not even my family. They won't see me for a while, until after I get back on solid foods. Where I work, I MUST be Mary Sunshine, being "the face of the IT dept" (at a position that gets very little respect!). So I will have to muster through my two week liquid diet. Shandra

Hello! I'm 34, but will be 35 in a few weeks. In fact I have my surgery on the 29th, and Feb 2nd is my birthday! I'm in Carrollton, TX (Dallas suburb) and I start my two week liquid diet on Tuesday! I hope I make it. I wonder how grumpy I'm going to be... :eek: Shandra

I am of dissenting opinion. Keep your current weight. I think if you make sure you keep your BMI ABOVE 40 you'll have a better time being approved. If you can lose weight and still have a 40 BMI, go for it. I didn't lose much weight at all during my 6 month "diet"; had I gained and my BMI had become 40+, I think I would have been approved. It's a screwy system when you have to gain weight to have an operation to lose weight. Don't you love insurance?? I really do wish the best for you!!! Shandra

I'm not sure how common it is, but it does make sense. They just want to make sure that you're "sane" and will take care of yourself after you get banded. It seems no matter what I go to the dr. for (twisted ankle, annual visit, one of my 6 month diet visits), my BP was always a little high. Enough to be considered pre-hypertensive but not enough to be "high blood pressure". Not sure why that didn't help qualify me for approval. I think w/ Cigna you have to have two co-morbidities if you are between a certain range of BMI; I think that was my case. Had my BMI been over 40, I would have been approved. I was just under 39.8 or so. Of all the times to have gained weight, during my 6 month diet would have been the time so that my BMI would have gone over 40. But you know that 6-7 lbs I would have needed i would just have to lose and buy clothes to fit in to. Why does it have to be that I have to gain weight to get Insurance to pay for the operation to lose it? Guess there has to be a cut off, but I'd have liked it to be lower to include me. As it, I'm going self-pay and will be changing my life on Jan 29th, around 7 am or so. Sorry so OT. Shandra

I have Cigna and I had to do the 6 month "diet". Use this time to practice what you'll be doing after you are banded; better food choices, smaller bites, chewing, chewing, chewing, putting your hands in your lap after that very small bite, sipping your drinks, walking/getting some exercise. I had to do the stress test, the psych eval, the 6 month diet, blood work, and a visit to a nutritionist, all for Cigna. These are the hoops I had to jump through. After you get all that done, make sure you stay on top of the people who'll be submitting your information. Call Cigna EVERY DAY, (I'm not kidding!!) to get a status on your approval. Be insistent but not mean or cruel. They are only doing a job. I hope you have good luck. I was denied by insurance b/c I was too healthy, even being overweight, for insurance to pay. Shandra

Found out today that I was denied by Cigna. While my BMI is between 35-40 I didn't have any co-morbidities to justify them paying for my lapband. I'll get the letter in a few weeks. So now I'm going a different direction and will be a self pay; I CAN NOT WAIT another 30 days for an appeal. I have to make some changes in my life and they have to start soon. My birthday is in Feb so this will be my present to myself. My company C'mas party is tonight and I plan to make my pain go away with some adult beverages. Thanks for the support that I have been given on this part of journey. I wished that it had turned out the way *I* wanted it to. Shandra

Ok, called again today. I was told to call another dept entirely, only to be told that they didn't handle pre-derterminations. Back to Cigna main line! Called back and firmly spoke with the rep, and when I asked, I got to talk to a supervisor out of Denison, TX. I have her name as well. I asked how to get back in touch with her. She has my cell number and said that she'll give me a call in 2-5 business days to tell me what the result is. So Friday, I'll be calling again. I also went to the dr today (someone canceled their appt and I was able to get in), and a nurse there said that her husband has lap band. I told her I'd jumped thru all the hoops; she told me that I'll get approved, just takes time. Boy am I tired of hearing that!! I don't know if I'm being squeaky enough or not! I'm sure sick of this waiting!!! Shandra

I got ahold of someone who said that she'd put a rush on my case. So we'll see how far it gets when I call tomorrow, and the day after that, etc. She put in my notes that I should expect an answer by Dec 21st. She also said that she saw that someone looked at my file on 12/6 but nothing after that. 12/12 is the end of the 30 day time limit. Since we never get the same person every time we call, I'll be making yet another 30 min call to find out what is going on with my approval. I feel better about getting an answer now, thanks to the replies on this thread. Have a good evening! Shandra

Hi everyone!! I've jumped through all of Cigna's hoops (6 month supervised diet, stress test, psych eval, blood work, nutritionist's visit) and have run up about $2k in the process getting all this done! My paperwork was submitted on Nov 12th. Later than I thought it was submitted. I called Cigna and they said it would take about 15-30 days to get an approval. Well, next week will be 30 days!! I also called my dr's office and asked if there was anything else I could to to push this process along. I was told that if I call and get past the 1st line rep, to a supervisor or nurse or someone, and politely raise a fuss, that approvals come in the next day or so. Guess what I'll be doing on Monday! If anyone else has some insight to this process with Cigna, please let me know. I don't plan on having it until the beginning of next year anyway, but I want an approval NOW!! :glasses I have a plan B in case I get denied b/c I simply can't allow my life to continue in this manner (i.e. being overweight, I'm not going to hurt myself. ) I need a new start and I need it very soon. Have a great day! :Banane20: Shandra

Hi Everyone! My name is Shandra and I just found this forum last night. I am an IT Technician and I live in Texas, like my ID suggests. I'm anxious to get on w/ the surgery, but would LOVE for insurance to pay for it! I'll post my situation in the insurance forum to get more answers. It's really helped me so far b/c I'm very frustrated and unhappy with the whole process. Thanks for havin' me! Shandra TX_IT_Chick